Danjuma Goje, former governor of Gombe State and senator representing Gombe Central, has reaffirmed his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing speculation that he plans to defect from the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Goje, who spoke on Saturday in Gombe, said he remained committed to the APC, describing himself as a founding member of the party.

He urged his supporters across Gombe State and beyond to remain loyal to the APC and cooperate with its leaders to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

“I have not defected to any political party. As a founding member of the APC, I remain a member of the party,” Goje said.

The former governor said his long years of service to the country made it inappropriate for him to leave the APC merely to seek another term in the Senate.

“Given my years of service and the positions I have held in the country, it would be inappropriate for me, at this stage of my life, to decamp to another party simply to contest for the Senate,” he said.

Goje, however, suggested that his decision might have been different if he were seeking a higher political office.

“However, it would have been a different ball game if I were contesting for a higher position,” he said.

He called on his supporters to work with the party’s leadership, stressing that the APC remained the political platform he helped to build.

“Therefore, I am urging all my supporters across Gombe and beyond to cooperate with our leaders and remain loyal to the party. This is our house. We built it, and we will continue to work for its success,” he said.

Reflecting on his political career, Goje said he had spent nearly 45 years in active politics and had contested elections eight times since the Second Republic, winning all the elections.

He said his political career had seen him serve as a member of the Gombe State House of Assembly, governor of the state for two terms, minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and senator.

Goje said he had announced his retirement from active politics in 2019 but was persuaded by his supporters to return to the political arena and contest the 2023 senatorial election.

Despite uncertainty over his return to the National Assembly in 2027, the former governor said he would continue to support his constituents and maintain his empowerment programmes.

He assured his supporters that his commitment to empowering people would not depend on whether he returned to the Senate.

Goje is among the serving senators who are not expected to return to the National Assembly on the APC platform in 2027.